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Dionaea muscipula
Dionaea muscipula Ellis
Venus Flytrap, Meadow Clam, Tippitywichit
Droseraceae (Sundew Family)
Synonym(s):
USDA Symbol: dimu4
USDA Native Status: L48 (N)
A carnivorous plant with a cluster of white flowers atop a leafless stalk rising above a rosette of bristly, folded, basal leaves. Venus fly-traps are native only to an area within about 75-miles of Wilmington, N.C., but they have been introduced to Florida, New Jersey and other locations.
When insects or spiders disturb any two of the six tactile bristles on the upper surface of the folded leaves of this fascinating plant, the hinged halves of the leaf snap shut, trapping the prey. A chemical secreted by the prey stimulates the flow of the plant's digestive enzymes (this does not take place if the plant is stimulated by an inert object such as a pencil tip). Following digestion of the prey, the nutrients are absorbed and the leaf is reset.
Plant Characteristics
Duration: PerennialHabit: Herb
Fruit Type: Capsule
Size Notes: Flower scape up to about 16 inches tall.
Bloom Information
Bloom Color: WhiteBloom Time: May , Jun
Distribution
USA: DE , FL , NC , NJ , SCNative Distribution: Coastal plain of North and South Carolina; also reported from New Jersey and Florida.
Native Habitat: Moist sandy areas and pinelands.
Mr. Smarty Plants says
Whether Venus flytrap (dionaea muscipula) is endangered
April 04, 2006
I am a 4th grader at Whitestone Elementary School in Leander, Texas. I am in the Quest program and I am doing a project on the venus flytrap and would like to ask you some questions.
1. Is there an ...
view the full question and answer
National Wetland Indicator Status
Region: | AGCP | AK | AW | CB | EMP | GP | HI | MW | NCNE | WMVE |
Status: | FACW | FACW |
From the National Organizations Directory
According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:Mt. Cuba Center - Hockessin, DE
Web Reference
Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter
From the Archive
Wildflower Newsletter 1996 VOL. 13, NO.2 - Annual Wildflower Days Festival, Wildflower Center Hotline, The Visitor Experien...Additional resources
USDA: Find Dionaea muscipula in USDA PlantsFNA: Find Dionaea muscipula in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Dionaea muscipula
Metadata
Record Modified: 2023-03-30Research By: TWC Staff